Front-row Seats for Tofino Storm Watching [video]

Some might call the torrential winter rain that comes with a rainforest downright nasty. Others might say getting caught in a winter storm is unlucky. Talk to a Tofino local or seasoned visiting storm watcher, and you’ll see eyes get wide with anticipation. In fact, storm watching is an attraction around here. A natural phenomenon you truly have to see to believe. For a taste of what we’re talking about, watch our storm watching video. The raw, wild beauty of nature’s fury may surprise you…

Imagine watching waves that have travelled from Japan—over 7,400 km/4,600 miles.

You see them in the distance, continuing to build before your very eyes. Furiously frothing, white wave after wave, racing towards their ultimate mission… to collide with the beach right in front of you. The sound, smell and spray of massive, Category 1 hurricane levels of surf exploding against the rocks and crashing into the shore. The foamy storm surge rushing past the tide-line dragging 30-foot logs end-over-end to settle into their new beach-scape destination.

That’s what you can look forward to during Tofino’s storm watching season—October through April—when the Pacific packs a powerful punch on our rugged and exposed shores, especially right here in Cox Bay.

So how do we capture that?

We decided to let video do the storytelling along with the pros at Alterna Films. Carlo Wein—Producer and Aerial Pilot (aka Drone Driver)—led the charge during a day when Mother Nature showed up big time, and he was ecstatic about it.

“It’s not normal for us to want stormy weather for a video shoot, but this was all about capturing storm watching,” said Carlo. “We wanted to tell a story in a video vignette and ultimately, to show how fantastic it is to be actually in a Tofino storm.”

What unfolded was 43 seconds of spectacular.

And not just the weather, we’re talking some captivating seaside chemistry. She’s drinking tea by the fire and looks out at him…you wonder if they know each other, or did they just meet? That nervous giggle at around 00:22 is up for interpretation—just saying. Watch and see what you think…

The talent included Carmel Rodriguez—fitness coach, online trainer and Instagram inspiration—alongside professional athlete and well-documented adventurer, Stephen Lang.

We caught up with Stephen, who it turns out has been coming to Pacific Sands since he was a kid.

Stephen recalls, “I remember getting a camera for my 15th birthday, going to Pacific Sands for another great family vacation, and taking photos of Cox Bay from our suite. In fact, I still have that photo! Years later, I ended up moving to Tofino to be a kayak guide.

“I love the area and the wild, west coast weather, so to be able to come back to Pacific Sands again and work with such a dream team on this video project, in the middle of a cool storm, was magical.”

Instagram Guest Appearance

The photographer on the project was Noel Hendrickson, a pro that’s known for capturing the human element, great outdoors, and the ‘in-between’ moments mere mortals like us don’t see.

We’re giving Noel our Instagram reigns for a few days. Check it out for a guided tour of this photo shoot from the man behind the lens.

Instagram Contest

While you’re there, stay tuned for details on a Storm Watching Getaway Contest, where you can tag a friend you want to go storm watching with to win a 2-night package!

Come See For Yourself

Get front-row seats with our Pacific Storm Watching Package—a breathtaking combination of adventure and winter comforts.